Wild Things
by rusalka9
Summary: Sam and Dean stumble upon a woman under attack by a demon. Before they can help her, she destroys the demon. Who is she, and why are demons trying to kill her? Random title. Decent story. R&R, please. Rated T for language and some violence.
1. The Hunt

"**WILD THINGS"**

_Episode 1: In The Beginning Chapter I – The Hunt_

_written by annatari.the.writer_

**A/N: **This is my first Supernatural fanfic. It takes place after season two, but before season three (which I haven't seen yet). The first chapter is a little imperfect in terms of characterization (mostly ignoring the white elephant of Dean's impending demise), but it should get better. Also, when I created the supernatural mystery (which I borrowed from an abandoned story of mine), I didn't notice the similarities to the first season episode. Oops. I left it, though, because it isn't important. This first chapter is about ten pages typed, a little over 3800 words. Loooong. I plan on it being around 20 chapters, so I hope you like lengthy stories.

**This is dedicated to my amazing friend Kelly** (awesomelymehere on who first introduced me to Supernatural. Go Kelly! And if you're a fan of _Twilight_ by Stephenie Meyer, go read her story Christmas With The Cullens. 'Tis funny.

Legal Disclaimer: _I do not own the television show Supernatural. I do not own the characters of Sam and Dean Winchester, as well as others that may appear. I do own the fictional town of Morrison, Virginia, the characters Gloria Hammond, Josh the lifeguard, etc. I do own the text of this story, unless otherwise stated._

In short, don't own, don't sue. :)

Thank you for reading this far, and I hope you enjoy this story. And now, I present "Wild Things". trumpet fanfare

* * *

One would think that saving your little brother's life, closing a gate to Hell, and killing the bastard of a demon that murdered your mother was enough to earn a nice vacation. A beach in Tahiti, where you could live out your few remaining days in the company of gorgeous women and large amounts of booze. Indeed, with an expiration date looming in the near future, most guys would pack up and catch a plane to the nearest island paradise, and damn anyone who tried to stop him.

Sometimes, Dean Winchester really, really wished he could be that guy, instead of the guy who spends his last summer hunting down supernatural creatures.

But he wasn't that guy, so he and his brother headed out to Morrison, Virginia.

"So what exactly is happening here?" Dean asked his brother. Sam looked at the pile of newspaper clippings in his hands.

"Kids keep drowning in a public pool. Uh, one every summer for the past seven years."

"And what makes this a supernatural deal, and not just crappy lifeguards?"

Sam rolled his eyes. "Well, it seems strange that so many kids would die in the same pool, at about the same time."

Dean turned slightly to look at his brother, still keeping one eye on the road. "Wait, you're saying all these kids keep drowning on the same day, every year?"

"Not quite," Sam answered. "The first death was Gwendolyn West, age 8, in 2000. She drowned on June 23. The other deaths occurred within a week of the 23rd."

Drumming his fingers on the Impala's steering wheel, Dean returned his gaze to the highway. "It could be the anniversary of something. Or maybe some creature that only needs to feed once a year."

"Maybe." Sam shuffled through the papers. He stopped at a map of the state. "Hmm."

"What is it?" Dean asked.

"The town is on a river, the Bourne. It flows into the Atlantic."

"So? Lot of towns are on rivers."

"The riverfront is less than a mile from the pool."

Dean paused his finger tapping. "You think there might be a connection?"

"Yeah. I saw something once in Dad's journal about kelpies. Water demons," Sam explained.

"So this could be a water demon killing kids."

Sam shrugged. "It's a possibility."

Dean nodded thoughtfully, then turned the radio up and stepped harder on the gas.

The sun was raining heat and light, and the pool was packed with screaming children and frustrated parents, all in bathing suits. Dean's eyes lingered on a group of girls in their late teens sunbathing near the diving board. All of them were wearing revealing bikinis.

"Cradle robber," Sam commented as the got out of the Impala. Dean grinned and slipped on his sunglasses.

The two brothers strolled through the pool's gate, slipping by a noisy family of four. Among the swimmers and sunbathers, they stuck out like a sore thumb; jeans, t-shirts, jackets despite the heat (to conceal the guns they now carried constantly). Though they tried to be inconspicuous as they looked for any clues, it wasn't surprising that they were approached by a lifeguard within five minutes of their arrival.

"Excuse me, but are you two members here?" The young man was tanned, muscled, and blond. He looked like he played quarterback at the local high school and worked at the pool during the summer for the bikini factor.

Dean took the lead. "Nope, we aren't."

Sam looked at him in disbelief.

The lifeguard frowned. "Well, then you need to leave. The free swim time ended two hours ago."

"Oh, we're not here to swim. Actually, we were sent down here by the company that owns the pool," Dean lied.

"You mean the city sent you?" the lifeguard asked doubtfully.

"Yeah, that's what I meant. They wanted an inspection of the pool, and the lifeguards." Dean smiled, doing his best to look friendly.

The lifeguard wasn't buying it. Maybe he was smarter than he looked. "Why would they do that?"

"Well, I'm sure you've heard about the drownings in the past, haven't you," Sam asked, catching on. When the lifeguard nodded, he continued. "The city wanted to make sure there wouldn't be any more this summer. We're supposed to make sure that there are no safety concerns, that the lifeguards are doing their job, that sort of thing." He smiled too. "Apparently we don't need to worry about you, though. You're certainly watchful."

The lifeguard still looked doubtful, but he must have decided it was easier to accept the brothers' explanation. "Well, if you need anything, ask. My name's Josh."

"Nice to meet you, Josh," Dean replied, managing to conceal the sarcasm well enough. "Well, we had better get back to work."

The Winchesters left Josh, who returned to subtly ogling the bevy of lovely young ladies without a second thought.

Exchanging a look, the brothers split up and circled around the pool, scrutinizing it for any sign of the supernatural. When they met up again, they both shook their heads.

"Well, the 23rd isn't until next week," Dean said. "Maybe the beastie isn't rearing its ugly head yet."

"I guess. Maybe we should go over the information again, see if there was any connection between the victims," Sam suggested, checking his watch. "It's nearly two o'clock. Let's go grab some lunch."

Dean nodded, and the pair began winding their way back to the pool's entrance, trying without much success to avoid being splashed by the unruly children. "Psychotic rug rats," Dean muttered as he swerved to avoid a diminutive boy armed with a water gun. Sam laughed, but it was a stressed, uncomfortable laugh. Dean noticed the tense sound; his brother had been wearing this facade since the events of the past few months. It was like Sammy was determined to be happy for Dean. Truthfully, Dean wanted very badly to let it continue. It was easier than the confrontation that would have to come. Dean knew how Sammy was feeling, but it didn't change anything.

As they climbed into the Impala, Dean wondered how long he and Sam would be able to ignore the obvious. Then he shook his head and shoved the thought away. There was work to do.

Lunch was burgers at a diner, and the conversation was about the children who had drowned in the pool. It wasn't a cheerful meal.

An array of photographs was spread across the table. Seven pictures of seven children. Ranging in age from four to ten, the kids seemed to stare at Dean. He carefully took his fury at their deaths and packed it away, determined that it wouldn't get the better of him. He wanted to find whatever had ended their lives, and he wanted to kill it.

Gwen West. Harvey Leons. Sasha Plum. Tyler Lorman. Robin Jefferson. Aaron Silman. Jamie Andrews. They had died a year after one another, and no one had made the connection until Sam and Dean had.

"Well, the kids are boys and girls, multiple backgrounds, multiple ethnicities..." Sam thought aloud.

"So, we have an equal-opportunity monster here." Dean munched a French fry, looking at the notes Sam had made about the victims.

"I guess kelpies aren't picky." Sam pushed his stack of papers away. "I dunno, man. They seem to be random victims. Wrong place, wrong time."

"Then we look at something else."

Sam raised his eyebrows at his brother, who was chewing on more fries. "Like what?"

Dean pointed at the photo of Gwen West, a cute little girl with pig tails and a gap-toothed grin. "Why did the deaths start with her? She died nearly fifteen years after the pool was built. Maybe our beastie hasn't always been a resident."

They left the diner and returned to the motel they were staying at. It was near the riverfront, and one could faintly hear the rushing water.

For most of the afternoon, they checked through the books they had with them for information about kelpies. They didn't find much. Finally, around six, Dean slammed the book he was reading shut and stood, stretching. "Okay, that was useless. I need a break. I'm going to go get a drink, you coming?"

Sam nodded and stood as well. They left the room and walked down the street. There was a bar a few blocks down. The sun was still bathing the city in light; it wouldn't set for several hours.

The bar had a good-sized crowd. The brothers bought some beers and found a table, sitting down and glancing around out of habit to make sure they were out of earshot.

They drank in silence for a while. There wasn't much to say, as they had spent all day talking about the case, and any other topic would be too risky.

After some time, Sam cleared his throat. "Dean. I think..."

"Ah ha!" Dean interrupted, jumping out of his seat. "Sorry, Sammy, can't talk. I have to follow up on a lead."

"But-" Sam protested. It was too late; Dean had already disappeared into the crowd. Sam sighed and took another swig of his beer.

Dean pushed through the masses of people and caught up with the blond lifeguard, Josh. The young man was part of a group of college-aged people. By the trapped expression on the kid's face, Dean figured he had caught him somewhere he wasn't supposed to be. Excellent, thought Dean. People talk if they think it will get them out of trouble.

"Josh, my man!" he greeted the lifeguard, slapping him on the shoulder. "Could I talk to you for a minute?"

Josh looked around nervously. "Uh, yeah. Sure."

They moved away from the others, into a darker corner of the bar. "So," Dean began. "About those drownings I mentioned this morning."

"What about them?" Josh asked, confused.

Dean smiled in what he hoped was a non-threatening manner. "I was just wondering if you could tell me about them. Maybe something that wouldn't have been in the official reports."

Josh calmed down a bit, deciding that there was no danger in this topic. "Well, I've only worked at the pool during the last two summers, so I don't know much about what happened before then. I wasn't working the day the Silman kid died, but I was when Jamie Andrews drowned."

"Okay, then. What can you tell me about that day?"

Josh shrugged. "It was a pretty normal day. Lots of kids. Jamie swam a little too far out, into the deep end. Me and the other lifeguards tried to get there in time, but it was too late."

Dean nodded, then risked a question. "Did you happen to notice anything strange, right before Jamie died? A strange sound, a dark shape in the water?"

"No," Josh answered, his eyes widening as he shook his head. "Nothing weird at all."

The kid was starting to spook, so Dean smiled again. "Thanks, man. You've been a real help." He walked away from a very confused Josh and returned to the table where Sam was still sitting.

"So, I just talked to the lifeguard kid. He said there wasn't anything strange about the way the last kid died. No shadow in the water or anything."

Sam nodded. "So...maybe it isn't a kelpie."

"I guess we should start looking at other possibilities," Dean said. "But not tonight. I'm exhausted." His gaze trailed after a pretty young girl walking with some friends. Without a word, he stood and followed.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Exhausted, my ass."

Nine o'clock found the brothers leaving the bar with varying emotions. Sam was scowling in irritation, while Dean was grinning about his success with the lovely Natalie. They walked silently down the sidewalk, ignoring each other.

When Dean started whistling, it was too much for Sam. He stopped and turned to face his brother. "What the hell is your problem?"

Dean stopped as well. "Uh...I was just whistling, Sammy. If you want, I'll stop." His tone was puzzled.

"Don't play dumb with me, Dean. You know this isn't about the whistling." Sam was breathing hard, his jaw tensed with anger.

"I don't know...Sam!" Before Dean could finish his denial, Sam had pitched forward, clutching his skull in pain. Dean rushed over, grabbing his brother by the shoulders. "Sammy, come on. Talk to me, man."

Sam gasped, his eyes flying open. "A girl," he managed to choke out before his eyes closed again. He groaned and fell to his knees. Dean knelt with him, quickly scanning the area for anybody. The street was empty.

"What girl, Sammy? Where?"

Sam shook his head in frustration. "I dunno...she's getting attacked. By a demon." Suddenly he opened his eyes and looked up. "There."

He jumped up off the ground and started running toward a nearby alley. Dean followed his brother. "What's going on, Sam?" he called after his brother.

"I don't know!" Sam shouted back.

They ran to the alley, then paused to look around. "It wasn't here," Sam said as he looked over the Dumpsters inhabiting the thin slip of asphalt. "But I think it was in this direction."

"You said this chick was getting attacked by a demon, Sammy?" Dean asked as he pulled his gun out of the waistband of his jeans. As he checked the clip, he looked at his brother, who was frowning in uncertainty.

"I think that was what I saw, but I'm not...wait a second." He pointed at a neon sign in the next street. "That was in my vision. The girl, she was standing under it when she was attacked."

"Okay, then," Dean said.

Stepping as softly as they could, the brothers walked through the alley. When they reached the end, Sam paused, casting a look down the street. It was empty.

Looking with him, Dean began to ask a question, but he stopped when a girl rounded the corner. She was walking alone, purse slung over her shoulder. "Is that her?" Dean whispered. Sam nodded.

There was no sign of a demon. The girl walked without any sign of apprehension, but as she came closer to the neon sign, she paused for a moment. Slowly, she looked around. Her eyes swept over the alley where the brothers waited without stopping. After a moment, she continued walking. Her hands, previously shoved in her jean pockets, slipped out and hung by her sides, swinging in a loose rhythm.

"Should we stop her?" Dean asked. "At least get closer so we can get the demon when it shows up."

"No," Sam answered flatly.

Dean turned his head to look at his brother, surprised by Sam's tone. He sounded suspicious, even angry. "What do you mean?"

Before Sam could reply, the girl reached the neon sign. As soon as she stepped under it, a dark mist flowed out of the nearby store. It formed a cloud that hovered behind the girl, who had paused under the glare of the sign.

Dean started to move forward, but Sam caught him by the shoulder. "Don't."

"What? Why not?" Dean asked quickly. His brother just shook his head.

In the street, the demon's essence was still floating without movement behind the girl, who was likewise standing completely motionless. The brothers watched with bated breath for some kind of action.

After a moment of what Dean imagined to be fiendish anticipation, the demon shifted. It began to flow towards the girl. What happened next was so surprising, Dean would have put it down to too much alcohol if Sam hadn't seen it too.

Instead of being possessed or destroyed by the demon, the girl took a step forward, out of the thing's reach. Then, she spun and held her hands up before her. The mist paused, then continued.

This didn't seem to faze the girl. She simply raised her hands higher and _pushed_. Her hands suddenly burned with light.

"Holy shit..." Dean breathed. Beside him, Sam was tensed with energy.

The mist recoiled from the light, darting back away from the girl. She stepped forward, pursuing it, and it fled again. The light burned even brighter, a corona of shining white fire. Black mist dissolved into nothing as the demon disappeared.

When it was gone, the girl dropped her hands, the radiance fading away. Dean blinked at the sudden darkness. As his eyes readjusted, the girl turned and continued on her way, her hands back in her pockets. She was walking faster now, though her shoulders were slumped more than they had been five minutes previous. As she disappeared around the next corner, the brothers turned to look at each other. Dean was confused and curious, but Sam was frowning darkly.

"What the hell was that?" Dean asked his brother. Sammy just shrugged, eyes fixed on the point where the girl had last been visible.

Following the girl home was Dean's idea. Sam wanted to just forget the whole thing and go back to the motel, but Dean insisted.

"We have to know who she is," he told Sammy. "What she did – I've never seen anything like that before. She could be friendly, or she could be an enemy. We need to find out which."

"I don't like it," Sam argued. "Something about her _feels _wrong."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Thanks for that information, Jedi Master. Come on."

They hurried to the corner the girl had turned on. Reaching it, they paused and looked around. Dean narrowed his eyes; he could just see the girl, a few blocks ahead of them, fading into the night as she walked farther down the road. He could only see her now because of the streetlights.

Following her was easy; she didn't seem to be aware of surroundings anymore, not like she had right before the demon had appeared. The brothers followed her right up to her building. They waited in the shadows of the bakery across the street; after a few minutes, a light on the first floor came on. A minute later, a silhouette shaped like a young woman walked in front of the window. Dean made a mental note of the apartment's location.

They returned to the motel. A few calls later, they knew the girl's name. A quarter of an hour after that, they had all the information Sam could find about her on the Internet. It wasn't much.

"Gloria Hammond," Sam read from the screen. "Twenty-five years old. No husband, children, or siblings. Parents live in Richmond. She's never been arrested. Dean, her record's completely spotless." He looked up at his brother. "Whatever she is, she's good at keeping a low profile."

Dean shrugged. "Doesn't matter. We know her name and where she lives. Tomorrow we'll take a look around her apartment, see what we can find."

"Are you sure?" Sammy was frowning again. It seemed to be his most common expression these days. "We don't want to get mixed up in something bad. We have enough issues as it is."

"You had a vision about her," Dean pointed out. "That doesn't just happen for no reason."

"It could have been more about the demon than this Gloria woman." It was plain that Sam was only arguing for form's sake. He knew that the next day would find them breaking and entering Gloria Hammond's home.

"Yeah," snorted Dean. "Right. Whatever you say, Sammy."

"Jerk," Sam mumbled, shutting the laptop.

Dean smirked. "Bitch."

True enough, the next day found the Winchesters sitting in the Impala across the street from Gloria Hammond's apartment. The digits on the clock were getting closer and closer to noon, and Miss Hammond had yet to make an appearance. They knew she was in the apartment – they had seen her silhouette moving past the windows enough.

Dean's stomach was getting more indignant in its demands for food when the door to the apartment complex swung open. Gloria Hammond stepped out, looking none the worse for her adventures the previous night. She walked slowly down the sidewalk, smiling at passersby and occasionally pausing to exchange a few words. After a few minutes, she turned the corner and vanished from sight.

"About damn time," Dean muttered, climbing out of the Impala. Sam followed him into the building. They found the correct apartment and proceeded to break in. It was locked; Sam picked the lock while Dean kept watch. When the younger Winchester succeeded, the brothers entered the apartment.

It was not what they expected. Demon-fighting aside, Gloria Hammond was your average girl in her mid-twenties. Naturally, her apartment should have reflected that.

Instead, it appeared to have been invaded by a greenhouse.

Plants were everywhere; pots of flowers stood on every stable flat surface (and elsewhere, like on a teetering stack of books). Two ficus trees flanked a desk. As Dean stared, a leaf fell from one tree and landed on the computer's keyboard. An insect flew by his ear; he swatted at it and continued through the apartment. The kitchen was even more garden-like: rows of potted herbs on the counter, an entire freaking _orange tree_ in front of the open window. Dean shook his head. This woman was obsessed.

"Hey, Dean! You better come see this." Dean found his brother in Miss Hammond's bedroom. He smirked and began to comment, but he stopped when he saw what Sam was staring at.

The bed was like the rest of the apartment in its almost-normalcy. White linens and a jade green comforter. The un-normal part was, again, a plant. Vines, to be exact. They sprouted out of twin planters on either side of the bed, then twisted around the frame of the bed, trailing up to the headboard and meeting in the center. The entire bed was encircled by the dark green leaves. Dean thought they might have been ivy.

"Dude." Dean turned to his brother. "This is kinky. Like, hippie-kinky. Or something."

Sam rolled his eyes. "There's something really weird going on here, Dean. Why would anyone have so many plants in their apartment? It's one thing to have a few potted ferns or something, but this woman has nature everywhere!" His eyes strayed to the bed. He frowned. "It's strange. I don't like it. And you know what? Half these plants aren't even in season."

Dean nodded. He didn't understand either. "Okay, let's review. Gloria Hammond is totally normal, except for demon-attacks and a_ really_ green thumb. What's the connection between the two?"

A soft voice spoke behind the brothers. "I think the more appropriate question is why the hell are there two strange men in my bedroom, and what am I going to do to them?"

The Winchester brothers turned to see a very angry Gloria Hammond standing in the doorway, glaring at them.

* * *

**A/N: **Duh-duh-duh-_duh. _Cliffhanger. The second chapter is partially-written, so it should be up within a week or so. Maybe. Reviews, of course, will make me that much more eager to post chapter two. Hint. Hint. Hint.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it:)


	2. Meeting Gloria

"**WILD THINGS"**

_Episode 1: In The Beginning Chapter II: Meeting Gloria_

_written by: annatari.the.writer_

**A/N: **Here is chapter two! I hope the cliffhanger of the last chapter kept your interest. I love to be (as Kelly calls it) a tease. This chapter is not nearly so long as the first one, but it has a nice bit of action (two bits, actually), as well as some explanations and such. I would love for some reviews telling me what you think about my OC, Gloria. Actually, I would just really love some reviews. I'm not begging. Think of it as a respectful request.

This chapter is dedicated to my friend **Sarah**, who I have recently introduced to Supernatural. She has become an addict, which is good, because we can drool over Dean and Sam together.

Read and enjoy (I hope) chapter two of _Wild Things_, "Meeting Gloria".

* * *

The brothers stared at the woman. They had been caught. Taking their eyes off Gloria Hammond for a split second, they exchanged a look. The look clearly said _oh shit._

"That's two questions," Dean said, returning his attention to the furious woman.

She blinked acid green eyes. "Excuse me." Her tone was flat. "My mistake. I'll be sure to let the cops know how witty you are when they come to arrest you."

Sam laughed. It was a dark, sarcastic sound. "You aren't going to call the cops." Dean frowned at his brother.

Gloria didn't frown. "True. If I was going to, I would have already. But I don't need to involve the police in this. Tell me who you are and why you're in my apartment." Her demand was delivered with complete confidence. Dean was surprised. This woman was not at all frightened by two male intruders. Actually, she seemed prepared to beat the information out of them. That didn't make any sense.

Dean decided he would tell her so. "Are you suicidal, or just stupid? For all you know, we're escaped convicts." Which they were. Not that she needed to know that. "We could be planning to kill you."

Gloria laughed. Something in her demeanor changed. She took a step forward. "I doubt that you would be any threat to me. Now, _tell me what I want to know_." Her voice got quieter with every word, but the intensity of the command grew. She took another step forward.

The brothers were reacting to this strange behaviour in two different ways. Sam took a step back, away from Gloria, his face darkening in anger and something else. Dean, on the other hand, was almost delighted. He stepped forward, smirking.

"Make me," he taunted. This was not, perhaps, the wisest move to make.

Gloria snapped. Her eyes narrowed, and she raised her hands as if to push him away. Instead of shoving him, she pushed against the air. It crackled and hummed with static. Another gesture pushed the mass of charged air into Dean's chest, sending him flying – rather spectacularly – across the room. He hit the wall with a thud.

Before Gloria could move again, Sam had drawn his gun and aimed it at her. She frowned at it. Her hand twitched by her side. Sam felt the air gathering again. He pulled back the hammer of the gun.

Before he could fire, a groan sounded from where Dean lay on the floor in a heap. Sam and Gloria both turned to look at him.

"Holy_shit_, that hurt." He sat up and simultaneously rubbed at his chest and head. "Stung, too," he added.

"You okay, Dean?" Sam was trying to focus on Gloria and his brother at the same time. Gloria was behaving similarly.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm good." He stood and began to walk towards his brother. Gloria immediately snapped her arm up, her palm facing him.

"Don't move," she told him quietly.

Sam raised his gun again. Her gaze darted to him for a moment, and her other hand began to rise.

"Whoa, whoa. Let's calm down for a minute here, alright? No shooting people," he gave Sam a look, "and no throwing people around."

Gloria raised her eyebrows at him. "Why not?" she asked.

"We didn't come here for a fight. We came for answers. We saw you last night, when you were attacked by that demon. We wanted to know why, and how you got rid of it." Dean moved slowly toward Gloria and Sam as he spoke, his hands half-raised in a placating manner.

"Who are you, and how do you know about demons?" Gloria countered.

Dean was surprised at how this was working. Usually, he was the one with the gun and Sammy was the one trying to calm everyone down. "We all want answers," he told Gloria. "So let's put away the guns and the...whatever it is you do, and sit down and talk. We're on the same side here." He frowned for a moment. "I think."

Gloria just looked at him for a moment. She tilted her head to the side, then she suddenly dropped her arms and took a step back. "Fine."

Sighing in relief, Dean nodded at Sam, who lowered the gun, face still dark with anger.

The brothers followed Gloria into her living room. All three took seats, Winchesters on the couch and Gloria in a chair across from them. For a few moments, they exchanged flat looks. No one wanted to be the first to spill.

"Since you're the ones in _my _apartment, you can go first. Who are you?" Gloria asked.

Dean looked at Sam, then back at Gloria. He sighed and, leaning his elbows on his knees, rubbed his hands together. "Well, my name's Dean Winchester. This is my younger brother, Sam. We hunt...things. Supernatural things. Like demons."

Gloria mimicked Dean's posture, resting her chin on her hands. She gave the brothers a long look. "Okay," she said after a minute. "I believe you. Still, what does this have to do with me?"

"We saw you last night, when you were attacked by that demon. We saw you drive it off," Dean answered. "Naturally, we were curious. We followed you home, then used your address to find out your name. Broke in to see if we could figure out who the hell you are." Dean wasn't even bothering to cover anything up. He had a feeling this chick would know. Being thrown across the room again was not very enticing.

"Stupid move on your part," Gloria commented. She smiled. "Did you seriously think I wouldn't have some form of security, especially after being attacked by a demon?"

Dean frowned. "What do you mean, security? You don't have any alarms or anything."

Her smile became more of a smirk. "Oh, I do. Just not the normal sort." She held out a hand. A small insect flew over from the potted begonias on the coffee table. It landed in her outstretched palm.

"Meet my security." She moved her hand closer to the brothers. They leaned in, wary, yet still curious. The creature was a bee. "His name's Pip. He was separated from his colony. He found his way here, and decided to stay. When you showed up, he came and found me. I was just around the corner. He told me that two men he didn't know were in my home." She looked up at the brothers. "I came back, and found you two."

Dean stared at the bug. "What are you trying to say? You're the bug whisperer?" His eyes left Pip and met Gloria's gaze.

She laughed quietly. "No. I'm a green witch."

It was several seconds before Dean could manage a reply. "You're a...you're a _what_?"

"A green witch," Gloria repeated.

Sam spoke for this first time in the conversation. "What the hell is a green witch?" He sounded suspicious.

Gloria leaned back, her expression thoughtful. "Well, basically, green witches have a very strong connection with the natural world. We can manipulate it, to a certain extent." Her lips quirked in a grin. "We also prefer to be surrounded by nature. Maybe you've noticed the plants."

Dean snorted. "Plants. It's a friggin' jungle in here."

She laughed again. "It is a little strange to you, I suppose. But to me it's heaven."

"How do we know you aren't making this up?" Sam interrupted.

She turned her head slowly to face him. "You don't. You can believe me or not. I don't care. I am telling the truth, but I _don't_ need to justify myself to you." Her voice was quiet and cool.

Sam opened his mouth to argue, but Dean elbowed him. "We believe you," he told Gloria. "Ignore Sammy, he's just a little-"

A resounding crash killed Dean's words. Sam, Dean, and Gloria turned to see a person jumping through the glass doors leading to the apartment's patio. The three were on their feet immediately, Sam and Dean pulling their guns, Gloria raising her hands. "Demon," she hissed, her voice sharp with fury.

Dean wanted to ask her how she knew, but then the person raised his head. He was a young man with short red hair and freckled skin. What color his eyes were naturally was unknown, but right now they were the pitch black of demonic possession.

"Correct, witch," he rasped. A sneer stretched his mouth as he stepped forward, glass crunching under his shoes. "I've come to kill you."

Sam and Dean raised their guns, but Gloria waved a hand at them. "Just wait," she told them, voice low.

The brothers looked at each other. Should they trust her, trust that she knew what she was doing? Before they could decide, they saw why she told them to wait.

The demon walked forward a few more steps, drawing a large knife out of his pocket. When he passed between two innocuous-looking potted shrubs, Gloria's defenses activated. Vines shot out from the plants, wrapping around the demon's ankles and legs. More ropy vines grew, encircling the creature and binding it tightly. Withing half a minute, the demon was completely cocooned by the living shackles.

It tried to struggle, but the vines just tightened. It screamed in fury. The plants appeared to terrify it out of its mind. Screaming some more, it shouted at Gloria.

"Witch!" it howled. "You will not destroy me this way!"

"Oh, I will," she assured it. "Those vines will kill you if remain in the human's body much longer. Your only escape is to leave the body and return to Hell."

It shrieked, face twisting in desperation. "No!"

"Not much longer now," Gloria continued dispassionately. "Thirty, maybe forty seconds."

The demon gave her a terrible look that promised revenge. "More will come, witch. You will not escape," it told her before shuddering. Black mist poured out of the human host's mouth. The cloud fled the apartment, avoiding the plants.

Gloria watched it leave in silence.

When it was gone, Sam and Dean lowered their guns, feeling shell-shocked by what they had seen.

"Okay," Dean said finally. "We definitely believe you now. Don't we, Sammy?"

Sam nodded, looking troubled.

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**A/N: **Eh...review? Pwease, for the love of plants? 


	3. Interrogation

"**WILD THINGS"**

_Episode I: In The Beginning Chapter 3: Interrogation_

_written by: annatari.the.writer_

**A/N: **Here is chapter three! I've had it written for a while, but I decided to post it because of a review (yes, this is a hint). The lovely **SometimesAlways** left a sweet review on the previous chapter, and since she asked for more, I'm going to give it to her. So everyone thank SometimesAlways. And go read her stories.

Also thank you to my _other _reviewer and RL friend Kelly (awesomelyme) who is very rocking person. And props to Sarah, who worships at the Dean Winchester altar (and who said, "You have a Supernatural fanfic?! Ohmigodwhydidn'tyoutellmeIwanttoreadit!!!!"). I love you both. :D

And this chapter is over 2000 words, so savor every little bit. And **review**, because it gives me warm, fuzzy, want-to-write-more feelings.

-annatari

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Gloria laughed, a nervous sound. "Well, if that's what it takes..."

"Yeah," Dean said, looking down at the still young man. He crouched and placed a hand on the kid's neck. There was a pulse, faint but steady. "He's alive," he announced. "Probably be out for a while, though."

"Those vines," Sam began, turning to Gloria. "How did you do that?"

"Last night," she told him. "After the first attack, I set up defenses in case a demon tried to get in here. I only finished them this morning." Her lips turned up in a tiny smile. "You're lucky they were only set up to attack demons."

"Yeah," Dean agreed. "I don't think I would like being tied up by _plants_very much."

Gloria brushed some loose curls out of her eyes. "I wasn't actually sure they would work. I've never done anything like that before, so I was mostly playing it by ear." There was a note of pride in her voice.

Sam looked at her in disbelief. "You told us to wait, and you didn't even know if your...your _plants_ would work? Were you trying to get us killed?"

She shot him an irritated look. "No. But my 'plants' worked a hell of a lot better than shooting the poor guy would have."

With a snort, Sam turned away from her and looked at Dean. Dean recognized the look in his brother's eyes. Sammy used to get it all the time around their father.

"Anyway," Dean said before a fight could start. "What did the demon mean anyway? Why was it after you?"

Gloria sighed, a frown creasing her forehead. "Obviously, it's because of what I am. Demons and green witches are natural enemies. We _hate _each other. It's completely instinct; witches are some of the few who can destroy demons, so they want to kill as many of us as possible." She grimaced. "Filthy, unnatural creatures."

"Why now?" Dean asked. "If you've never set up defenses like that before, you must not have needed to. Why would demons start coming after you now?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure. Maybe they didn't know about me until recently. Maybe it has something to do with the growing number of possessions."

"You know about those?" This from Sam, who was watching her with a sharp gaze.

"Yes," she answered him. "I do."

"How?"

She shrugged again. "I have my ways." She looked over at the unconcious man. "You two should probably go now, before he wakes up."

"Oh, we can take care of him," Dean told her.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure. Walking into a hospital with an injured man will look completely innocent, wanted felons that you are."

Dean's eyes widened. "How did you know-"

"That you two are criminals, wanted by the FBI?" she finished for him. "Please. Two brothers by the name of Winchester, armed and apparently dangerous. Matches the description on the wanted posters pretty well." She grinned. "I'd love to hear the story behind that, but we don't have the time now." She began walking towards the door.

"Hold on a second," Dean said, following her. "You can't expect us to leave you here alone, can you? Not after you've just been attacked, and probably will be again."

She didn't bother to turn around. "Nice though the thought is, I don't need you to protect me. I'm a big girl. Now, get out before the guy wakes up and sees you. I don't fancy explaining you to the police."

"But," Dean tried to protest. Gloria opened the door and waved him out of it.

"Come by sometime tomorrow morning," she told him as he walked out. "We'll talk more then."

Sam passed by her silently, pausing to give her a hard look before following his brother out the door and down the hall.

When they were gone, Gloria shut the door and leaned against it. She closed her eyes and breathed a long, deep sigh. "Oh my," she whispered to herself. "This is lovely. Demons. Freaking demons!" She rubbed her forehead with one hand. "Jesus, this sucks."

She pushed away from the door and went over to where the man was still lying on the floor. Kneeling next to him, she gently shook him awake. He opened his eyes with a groan. Now they were a clear blue.

"What?" he mumbled. "Where am I? Who are you?" He tried to sit up, but Gloria pushed him back down.

"Don't try to stand yet," she told him. "My name's Gloria. You're in my apartment. You won't remember how you got here, I think you hit your head. You might have a bit of memory loss, but I'm going to take you to the hospital, and you'll be okay. Alright?"

He nodded, still confused. Gloria helped him stand, and they left the apartment and went to where Gloria's car was parked. She helped him in and they drove to the hospital, which was just a few miles away. When they reached it, Gloria parked in the lot. She sighed and concentrated. This was going to be a little difficult.

First she rolled the passenger window down a crack. Then she closed her eyes and focused on what she wanted. For a minute, she was completely still, her slow breathing the only sound she made. In the seat next to her, the man shifted, feeling nervous all of a sudden.

"What are you doing?" he asked. She ignored him. After a few more seconds, she opened her eyes and focused her attention on the open window. A small insect flew in, hovering in the car. It was a shiny blue color, with larger wings than typical. Gloria gestured it towards the man.

Without hesitation, it darted forward and stung him on the neck. The man jerked. The insect released him and flew out the window.

Gloria leaned forward, looking at the man carefully. He blinked a few times, eyes bleary, then he looked at her.

"You will remember nothing about the last few days," she told him quietly. "You will not remember me, my apartment, this car ride, or the two men at my apartment. You will walk into the hospital and tell them your name and that you can't remember. You will not tell them about me. Do you understand?"

He nodded slowly. "Yes."

She nodded in return. "Good. Now, get out and go inside."

He did as she said, walking into the hospital without a single backward glance. Gloria watched him go, wondering what his name was and how long he had been possessed. When he disappeared through the doors, she turned the key in the ignition and drove away.

Instead of returning home, she went to the library. She spent the rest of the afternoon there, taking refuge in books. When it was dark, she left. She did not drive, deciding instead to walk.

Walking was not, perhaps, the sanest thing to do in the circumstances, but she had a reason. She took her time, strolling down the streets, looking as innocent and prey-like as she could. She mentally crossed her fingers, hoping that she attracted the attention of a demon, and not a rapist.

Which was somewhat backwards thinking, really.

She got her wish. When she was just a few blocks from her apartment, she felt the demon's presence. It was another possession, not a corporeal manifestation, but that suited her purposes more. It followed her back to her apartment.

Gloria entered the building's lobby, nodding politely at some fellow tenants. She could still sense the demon behind her. Now it was jumping from human to human.

The walk down the hall to her door was a nervous one. It was too late to back out now, even though a voice in her head was starting to berate her for making up such a stupid plan. Gloria stiffened her shoulders and unlocked her door. She pushed it open.

A sudden shove sent her stumbling into the apartment. She spun and saw the demon. It was possessing Mr. Jollard, her neighbor. Jollard was in his fifties, a nice guy, who mostly kept to himself. It was unnerving to see his eyes filled with black.

"Hello, Miss Hammond," the demon spoke with a smirk. It kicked the door shut and advanced on her.

"Hello, demon," she replied. "How are you this fine night?" The bravado did a fair job of covering up how unsure she felt. She concentrated on the defenses of her apartment, altering them as quickly and subtly as she could. This was another thing she had never tried before, and she didn't have two hunters with guns backing her up this time.

"Delighted to be the one to tear out your pretty little throat, witch." The demon smiled at her.

Gloria swallowed. She stepped back a few paces, then a few more as the demon advanced on her. When it was next to her bedroom door, she flung out her arm and swept it forward.

A sudden gust of wind blew the door open. It smacked the demon in the back. Gloria winced at the noise, praying it hadn't hurt Mr. Jollard too badly.

The demon stumbled, and Gloria gestured again, this time upward with both hands. Plants from all over the floor of her living room shot up, growing at a tremendous rate. Vines entwined, weaving together until they began to form a cage. Gloria poured all her energy into them, and within seconds they had formed an inpenetrable wall around the room that reached up to the ceiling. Gloria lowered her arms, watching the demon.

It was furious at being tricked. It hissed and snarled, spinning around, searching for an escape. There was no way out. It turned again, focusing its black stare on Gloria. "I'll kill you, witch!"

"No, you won't," she told it. "Make one move and my plants will eat you alive. I've already sent two of your kind back to hell, but this will be the most unpleasant way yet."

It glared at her in silence, knowing that she was telling the truth.

"But, I would be willing to cut you a deal. You can return to hell of your own will, without any fuss, if you tell me what I want to know."

Its silence continued stubbornly. Gloria waited a beat, then shrugged.

"Oh, well," she said. "I guess you don't want to save your own skin." She gestured at the living wall, and it shifted forward towards the demon.

The demon flinched away. "Fine!" it shouted. "Fine! What do you want to know, witch?"

"What is the reason behind the increased demonic activity?" she asked.

"A war's coming," it answered gleefully. "An army of demons escaped from hell to wreak destruction among you pathetic humans."

"Who is leading this army?"

It scowled. "He was destroyed, by a human. A hunter."

Gloria frowned. "What was the name of this hunter?"

It hissed. "Winchester," it replied, voice full of malice.

She raised a brow. "Really. Hmm. Tell me more about the Winchesters."

It smirked mirthlessly. "The Winchesters are famous in hell, witch. They hunt everything. Ghosts, creatures, and most of all, demons. A father and his two sons. The father died. He was in hell, but he escaped." The smirk became more depraved. "It was fun to play with him. He was so tormented." It licked its lips.

Gloria mulled this new information over. So, the Winchesters were well-known among demonkind.

"If the Winchesters killed your leader, who is commanding you now?" she asked.

"No one, yet. Many fight amongst themselves for control, though." The demon was becoming more confident, waiting for her to slip up. Gloria knew she needed to wrap this up soon.

"What is the reason for the army? Why are the demons coming to war?"

The demon scowled and shut its mouth. Gloria waited, but it didn't say anything.

"Demon," she said. "You will answer my question, or suffer the consequences. Now, _tell me why_."

"Demons will war with the humans," it screamed in answer. "And we will conquer your pathetic, weak race. We will destroy the hunters and the witches, and then we will rule over Earth!" It leered at her, stepping closer to her.

Gloria lost control. The idea of demons polluting the planet with their evil made her feel sick. She lashed out at the demon, sending the wall of plants crashing down on it. Its screams were muffled by the thick vegetation that quickly buried it. Within seconds the demon manifested, black mist shooting out of the mass of greenery and darting out the door.

Gloria moaned and fell onto the couch. Her head was spinning; it had required a lot of strength to create that wall, and her brief loss of control had left her feeling ill. She rested for a minute, then stood and walked over to the lump of vines and leaves. As she approached, they retreated away from the unconcious body of Mr. Jollard. With a sigh, Gloria bent over and grabbed his wrists. She slowly dragged him over to the door of the apartment. Dropping his wrists, she opened the door and looked out into the hall. It was clear.

She dragged Mr. Jollard outside, then dug through his pockets for his keys. Finding them, she opened his door and pulled him into his apartment.

Ten minutes later, she had Jollard safe and sound on his couch, where he would later awake and think it had all been a dream. Gloria returned to her apartment and collapsed onto her own couch, exhausted. Fighting three demons in two days was not good for her energy levels. It was also very disturbing. She had no illusions about demons and truth, but if what she had learned was at all close to reality, a few assassination attempts was just the start of what was coming.

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**A/N: **Ta-da. Review. The next chapter is planned out, so I'll get to work on writing it. :) Thanks for reading. 


	4. Knowledge

"**WILD THINGS"**

_Episode 2: Brought To The Light Chapter IV: Knowledge_

_written by: annatari.the.writer_

**A/N: **Finally, chapter four. I got off my lazy butt and wrote it this weekend, partly because my friend Sarah (0sarahlee0) finally read it and liked it. She also got a sneak preview, since she's so great. Anyway, this isn't really long, but I like it. Sort of sarcastic, though. So, read, enjoy, and review, in that order.

Dedicated to my **mom**, who is the coolest mom ever. Seriously, all my friends say so. Love ya, mommy!

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Gloria was in her kitchen staring blearily at the coffeepot when she heard the knock on the door. She sighed, knowing who it was. She would still be in bed, sound asleep and recuperating from the events of the past days, but something had told her that the Winchester brothers would be by bright and early in the morning. 

Unlocking her door, she pulled the door open. Sam and Dean were waiting, looking furtively around the hall as if they were waiting to be identified by her neighbors. Gloria waved them in without saying a word, turning and walking back to the kitchen as they entered the apartment. They followed her.

In the kitchen, she pulled out two more coffee cups, setting them on the table along with cream and sugar. "Help yourselves," she told the brothers as she fixed coffee for herself.

They did so quietly. As Dean stirred sugar into his cup, he spoke. "So, you didn't even check to see who we were before opening the door. That was pretty dumb."

Gloria drank deeply from her cup, then rolled her eyes. "Last time I checked, demons weren't getting into my apartment unless I let them. Regular human criminals, I can handle."

"What, you're going to use your magic plants?" Sam asked, a sneer in his voice.

"No," Gloria replied sweetly, "I thought I'd ask my friends the unicorns to get them to go away."

Dean looked at her. "You are joking, right?" When she nodded, he sighed in relief. "Good, because this is weird enough without freaking unicorns."

"Seriously, though, I'd shoot them or something. Haven't really thought about it," Gloria mused. "I've been more focused on the denizens of Hell that are trying to kill me than the vague possibility of human criminals."

"So, how did it go yesterday?"

Gloria shrugged. "Fine. Took the guy to the hospital. He didn't remember anything."

Sam frowned, but before he could say anything Gloria continued. "I found out some information."

Dean gave Sam a look, then looked back at Gloria. "Really. What did you find out?"

"According to my source, an army of demons escaped out of Hell. Their leader was destroyed, so some of them went off to do demonic things, while the rest are duking it out for control. Their ultimate goal is to conquer Earth."

Raising his eyebrows, Dean drained the last of his coffee. "That's some interesting info. Who was your source?"

Gloria leaned back against the counter, crossing her arms and tilting her head to scrutinize the brothers. After a few seconds, she answered. "A demon."

Sam's eyes widened, then darkened with anger. "You summoned a demon?!" He stood straighter, his hands clenching into white-knuckled fists as he loomed over the much-shorter Gloria. "What the hell were you thinking? Going behind our backs and betraying us!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Gloria told him, voice cold. She didn't appear intimidated by Sam, but Dean was more than a little worried.

"Look, calm down Sam. I'm sure Gloria has an explanation-"

"Don't tell me to calm down, Dean!" Sam shouted. "She's a witch who summons demons. Last time I checked, we didn't give evil time to explain itself."

"Wow, I didn't know you were the poster boy for the Spanish Inquisition!" Gloria exclaimed with false enthusiasm.

Sam started to take a step towards her, but Dean moved forward to block his path. "Alright, look," he said, using his "older brother" voice. "Everyone just stop. No need to get violent. Sam, we have no reason to think Gloria's up to something. Let her explain." He turned to look at Gloria, who was glaring at Sam with icy eyes. "Gloria, I hope you have a good explanation."

Gloria continued staring at Sam for a few moments before turning her attention to Dean. "Yeah. I didn't summon the demon. I captured it, then interrogated it. Got an issue with that, get out of my kitchen."

Dean gave Sam a hard look. "No, I think we're okay. What else did the demon say?"

"Same old 'we will destroy you' bullshit, with some specific threats against green witches and hunters."

"Did it say anything about how their original leader was destroyed?" Sam asked, voice still tight with anger.

Gloria shook her head. "Nope. Why?"

"Just curious."

Nodding, Gloria turned her attention to her coffee cup. She stared at it for a while, thinking. "I think we all understand the consequences of a full-scale war between humans and demonkind," she said eventually, voice soft.

"Yeah. Apocalypse sums it up pretty well." Dean straightened up. "Well, Sam, let's get out of here. We have work to do." He started to walk out of the kitchen.

"Wait," Gloria said; Dean paused. "Where are you going?"

"We'll contact some people we know, work on stopping the demons. Don't worry about it, we'll handle it from here. Thanks for the coffee." Dean turned to leave again, but Gloria pushed away from the counter and stepped quickly until she blocked the door.

"You're not going anywhere."

Dean looked at her, noting the stubborn angle of her jaw. "Look, you don't want to get involved in this. Stick to a normal life. This is our job, we know what we're doing."

"In case you didn't notice the assassination attempts, I am involved in this," Gloria argued. "And a normal life is hard when you aren't normal. And there is no way I'm going to stand aside while demons try to destroy the Earth. I just can't."

"This isn't something you want to do, trust me." Dean rubbed his forehead in frustration. "This life isn't fun or glamorous. People get killed, especially people with more guts than experience."

Gloria's eyes were burning. "I don't think you understand how deep my hatred of demonkind runs. It's imbedded in my bones. My entire life, I've hated them. It's part of who I am, pure instinct. Trust me, I am going to fight them one way or another, and it might as well be with you."

Dean was starting to give in, but Sam wasn't buying it. "Why should we trust you?" he demanded.

Gloria turned to him, a strange look in her eyes. "Because you're gonna need every fighter you can get, if you want to beat them."

For a minute, they all stood there, looking at each other. Then, Dean clapped Sam on the shoulder and pulled him past Gloria. She put out a hand to stop them, but Dean caught her wrist. "Got to talk to my brother, sweetheart. You might want to get out of the way."

Gloria glared at him. Their eyes locked for a moment, then Dean released her wrist and she stepped out of the doorway. She retreated into the kitchen for another cup of coffee while the brothers went to stand by the window on the far side of her living room.

"No way can we involve her in this," Sam said immediately. "I don't trust her. There's something off about her."

"I don't trust her either, not yet, but I know she's serious about fighting. If we don't let her work with us, she's likely to get killed."

Sam shrugged. "Not our problem."

His brother frowned at him. "You don't want that on your conscience, and neither do I. Besides, this way we could keep an eye on her, make sure she isn't working for the other side."

Sam's face darkened as he thought. His eyes darted to the kitched doorway, then back to his brother. "Fine. But she does anything suspicious, it's over."

Dean nodded. "Alright then."

Together, they returned to the kitchen, where Gloria was sitting on the counter. "Well, what's the verdict?"

"We'll let you play in the big leagues, if you're a good girl," Dean told her, smirking.

She smiled, then slid off the counter. "I thought you might."

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**A/N: **Review, sil-vous-plait. Triple-chocolate cookies if you do. 


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